[sdiy] Audio (and synth) DIY printed magazine idea

[Thomas Hudson]

All I can say is count me as at least one subscriber. Closest fix I 
have these days to  the days of Electronotes, Device, Polyphony, and 
EM, is the occasional DIY article in TapeOp (well, of course this 
mailing list too). I pull out my collection of old stuff from time to 
time just to get my fix. I may be an old fart for still loving to 
receive the monthly dead tree edition, but at least I'm an old fart 
with money :-).

I also think you'd probably grab an extra demographic by including DIY 
software plugins, as well as the related advertising. I suck at 
designing things electronic (and at board layout), but I have 
successfully taken many of the designs and ideas of the brilliant 
people here on Synth-DIY and created software plugins (solely for my 
own use, not to invoke the D-word). My software clone of JH's Stormtide 
Flanger may not sound as good as the analog version, but those who've 
heard it still say "Holy Sh*t!" (and I haven't quite implemented the 
bounce feature  #5, yet).

I also echo what Barry said. I got a free sub to TapeOp, so they 
apparently make all their money from advertising. And I continue to get 
them, so maybe they've found a sustainable model.

Tomy

On Jan 6, 2004, at 1:00 PM, synth at charlielamm.com wrote:

> I like the CD idea...if there is money to pay for its production.
>
> On Tue, 6 Jan 2004, Barry Klein wrote:
>
>> 1. Concentrate on the advertising income (or lack of it?).  Lots of 
>> material
>> to write about...
>> Maybe model "TapeOP" magazine and approach his advertisers.
>> 2. Include a CD each issue with sounds of the circuits and/or reader
>> submissions.
>>
>> Barry
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: owner-synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl
>> [mailto:owner-synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl]On Behalf Of
>> synth at charlielamm.com
>> Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2004 8:11 AM
>> To: synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl
>> Subject: [sdiy] Audio (and synth) DIY printed magazine idea
>>
>>
>> I come from a family of non-fiction writers and we are constantly 
>> bouncing
>> ideas off each other for books and magazines that might do a little 
>> better
>> than break-even (sometime break-even is OK too).
>>
>> My latest idea is to have a magazine called something like "Audio 
>> DIY".
>> It would be in English, and come out monthly or bimonthly, and 
>> hopefully
>> sell to an International audience.
>>
>> It would cover what I see to be the 4 "thrusts" of the audio DIY biz 
>> as I
>> see it on the web and usenet
>>
>> --Synth DIY
>> --Stomp DIY
>> --Amp DIY
>> --Software DIY (Reaktor, Nord modular, roll your own plug ins, etc)
>>
>> My brothers and father don't know anything about this "hobby" or 
>> "passion"
>> or whatever you'd like to call it, so they couldn't gauge if it would 
>> get
>> enough interest to survive or not (to break even, the average "special
>> interest" publication must see about 30K subscribers annually, more if
>> potential advertisers stay away).  That's why I am posting this here.
>>
>> So, what does the group think?  Is there a 30K+ subscriber base,
>> worldwide, at say $20USD per year market for this (or am I preaching 
>> to
>> the choir?)  Has it been tried before?  Is it being done now, and I 
>> just
>> have never seen it at the newsstands?  Is this a silly question to 
>> ask of
>> this group?
>>
>> Some details, of course all to be revised and ironed out.
>>
>> My idea would be to have this represent all levels of this odd 
>> passion of
>> ours, from in depth Magnus-style filter math porn, to "how to get 
>> started
>> building a fatman".  My feeling is that the menches read everything, 
>> even
>> if it's remedial, and the beginners read everything too, they just 
>> don't
>> understand most of it, but hope someday they will.
>>
>> In general I'd slant it more for the beginner/intermediate than the 
>> mench,
>> mostly to gain subscriber base, but, that's up for discussion.
>>
>> As an advertising base I guess you'd try to get the parts suppliers on
>> line, as well as some music software mfgr's.  But in general I feel 
>> this
>> potential publication doesn't have the advertising potential of say
>> "Electronic Musician" or something...since someone like Roland has 
>> little
>> reason to advertise in it....and maybe since that keeps things a bit 
>> less
>> commercial (as I'm sure many of you know, at least a few of the music
>> publications say everything audio tech is great, even if it's not, to 
>> keep
>> the advertiser bucks flowing) it might be for the best.
>>
>> And there's the rub.  Without a strong advertiser base, some 
>> publication
>> die before they are born.
>>
>> But it'd be a hell of a fun publication to produce.  I'd certainly
>> subscribe to it.  And it might become a good little business, 
>> provided you
>> could keep enough people subscribing.
>>
>> Some of the start up ideas:
>>
>> --A basement publication, hand stapled and addressed, along the lines
>> of how a specialty publication like "Hemmings Motor News" got started.
>>
>> --A spin off of an existing publication.  I guess I'd have to put on a
>> suit and go around with my hat in my hands!
>>
>> --An angel investor (anyone know any?)
>>
>> --An internet magazine (problematic, since no one will ever want to 
>> pay a
>> dime for the publication once they can get it free).
>>
>>
>> Comments?
>>
>